This invention relates in general to practice pitching apparata and in particular to such apparata which provide a count indication of balls, strikes, walks and outs.
Over the years a number of attempts have been made to provide devices and apparata in order to enable one to practice baseball pitching whether for serious practice or as part of a game. Typically, the apparata include some type of backstop arrangement which the pitcher propels the ball toward and the location that the ball strikes is then evaluated by the pitcher or alternatively by the system which provides an indication of whether the pitch delivered was a ball or a strike. Most systems stop at this point, merely indicating whether a ball or a strike was thrown. While some systems provide a ball and strike count based on consecutive pitches, a number of the earlier systems are concerned with specifically where the pitch was delivered such as high, low, inside or outside. The two most common methods employed for determining whether a pitch is a ball or a strike involve the use of electromechanical switching components or alternatively, a photoelectric arrangement where the light path is disrupted by the ball passing therethrough and by that means enable the associated circuitry to determine the location of the pitch.
The systems which are oriented primarily around a game concept are quite often juvenile in nature and do not promote serious pitching attempts nor do they simulate a real game atmosphere. As to those systems which count balls and strikes, their circuitry goes no further. These systems do not continue the count into walks and outs. If a system would be arranged to convert balls and strikes into walks and outs, the system must include means to reset the corresponding ball or strike circuitry to begin anew. Many of the present systems also employ a mechanical arrangement which is subject to erroneous data by allowing the ball to ricochet or deflect and record a double response. Still further systems employ a rebounding backstop arrangement such that pitches delivered quite hard rebound rapidly and can present a potential hazard to the pitcher. Although this type of system might simulate a real game atmosphere such as when a pitch is hit sharply back to the pitcher's mound, it is preferred that this not occur when one is solely concentrating on delivering pitches and is not concentrating on fielding practice at the same time.
The systems incorporating a photoelectric cell arrangement are felt to be a disadvantage because of the type and number of electrical components required and the fact that they must be located accurately around the framework of the backstop and would be subject to being struck by a wild or errant pitch. Althouth such components could be securely encased, such protective measures would unduly complicate the apparatus as well as increase its cost and reduce its portability.
Following is a listing of various prior attempts at developing a practice pitching or target game system and although each may have provided some benefit or improvement at the time of their conception, none are believed to render the same advantages as the present invention nor are they felt to anticipate or otherwise render the present invention obvious.
______________________________________ Patent No. Patentee Issue Date ______________________________________ 3,206,196 Jackson 9/14/65 3,997,158 Britton 12/14/76 3,706,451 Dixon 12/19/72 3,427,026 Mahoney 2/11/69 3,229,975 Tompkins et al. 1/18/66 3,133,733 Elseroad 5/19/64 2,890,052 Burrell 6/09/59 2,657,931 Burrell 11/03/53 2,040,228 Whiteley 5/12/36 3,157,399 Gaudet 11/17/64 ______________________________________
Jackson discloses a target device at which baseballs may be thrown and the accuracy of the hit upon the target is recorded by two sets of lights, one for strikes and one for balls. There is a strike zone and a separate surrounding ball zone with an elastic covering such that the ball thrown will be returned to the pitcher in a rebounding type of action.
Britton discloses a strike zone target for the aid of youngsters and others learning to play baseball or practicing to improve their game. The construction involves two vertical chains spaced wider than home plate is wide and two horizontal chains with a hook at each end and the hooks are adapted to be removably fastened at different heights to the vertical chains for drawing these vertical chains together. The use of these chains thereby defines the particular strike zone for the person to throw at. There is no circuitry associated with this arrangement for counting balls and strikes and the device is purely a mechanical arrangement.
Dixon discloses a target-type scoring device which includes a target formed of resilient material such as a net supported by elastic members and a frame. There is a plate positioned in spaced relationship behind the target and this plate includes markings thereon to define a scoring area and to indicate a score resulting from the scoring area of the target being struck by an object.
Mahoney discloses a projectile return apparatus and the structure is one of a purely mechanical arrangement whereby an elastic cover may be variously oriented by means of its cooperating frame structure so that its angle of inclination can be varied and thereby vary the trajectory of the returning projectile.
Tompkins et al. discloses an electronic pitching aid consisting of a criss-crossing light beam pattern created by a spaced series of photoelectric cells. A series of vertical light paths and a series of horizontal light paths intersect one another in what is designated as the strike zone and the accuracy of the thrown strike will be recorded by its intersection location. There are no counting means nor circuitry to maintain balls, strikes, walks and outs.
Elseroad discloses an amusement device for simulating certain elements of the game of baseball in order to amuse a small child and to provide a target at which to throw a ball. The device includes two targets, one for simulation of the strike zone for a batter at which a rubber ball may be thrown, and the other is a simulation of the first baseman to whom the ball is thrown after it is hit. Other than indicating whether a thrown pitch is a hit or an out, the system does not involve circuitry to count balls and strikes.
Burrell ('052) discloses a target with an electrical indicator designed to record the accuracy of the hit on the target. The target is a disc-like member pivotally supported on a shaft such that upon impact by a thrown ball, the disc will revolve and the closer the hit is to the shaft, the less rocking or tilting there would be and correspondingly, the greater accuracy of the thrown ball will be indicated.
Burrell ('931) discloses a target baseball game of the type with facilities for playing the game of baseball to a large extent and is intended as a simulation of an actual baseball game where the success of each play depends in part on the pitching skill of the player. One aspect of this device involves a target which is divided into marked fields that represent various favorable and unfavorable plays in regulation baseball and the determination of whether or not a favorable or unfavorable play results is based upon the accuracy of the individual throwing the baseball at one of these particular marked fields. There is no electronic circuitry associated with this device for counting balls, strikes, walks and outs.
Whiteley discloses a baseball pitching game of the type that incorporates a target and a plurality of generally square plungers disposed in the designated strike zone and contact with these plungers by the thrown ball results in the closing of a switch and the illumination of a light. There is no light illumination if a ball is thrown and there is no circuitry to consecutively count balls and strikes and continue the count into walks and outs.
Gaudet discloses a baseball pitching practice target with ball and strike indicators and is constructed of a frame arrangement including an outer surface of vertical cords and a parallel spaced inner surface of horizontal cords. Selected cords of the vertical group and selected cords of the horizontal group are coupled to switches and are spaced appropriately such that the switches are tripped when a baseball passes through adjacent pairs of cords. The horizontal and vertical cords which are connected to the switches are arranged into a major pattern defining a strike zone such that when a ball is thrown and trips both a horizontal and a vertical cord, a strike indication is presented. Alternatively, when a ball is thrown and only passes through one set of cords, a ball indication results. There is an electrical circuit and a counter to count total balls and total strikes but there is no compatible circuitry to convert balls into walks nor strikes into outs, nor to recycle the entire system at the conclusion of an inning.
While each of these various listed devices are probably workable, they are not believed to provide an optimal set of characteristics. When an individual is practicing pitching, there are number of factors which play upon both game strategy and his psychological conditioning. A pitcher who is throwing hard and accurately may actually become emotionally high and continue to perform in an outstanding manner. In a similar light, a pitcher who starts off struggling may try too hard to correct his errant ways resulting in a pitching performance that is even more erradic and wild. Game conditions may also have an effect over a pitcher such as the number of outs, number of walks, and the score in the game. Unless such conditions can be simulated in a very accurate and realistic manner, any practice pitching device is not believed to be ideal. A further concern in the design of such a practice pitching apparatus is that the pitcher be allowed to throw fast and hard without the device acting as a rebounding wall or forcing the pitcher to go to great extremes to attempt to retrieve pitches. Systems which are of an elastic cover in nature and which result in a thrown pitch rebounding back to the pitcher are not believed to be desirable under these circumstances. Although some pitches may be hit back to the pitcher, the majority of pitches are caught by the catcher. Furthermore, a pitching device which allows thrown balls to pass through or otherwise end up in varied locations requires additional time and effort to collect the base balls which have been thrown. A further concern with a system which consecutively counts balls and strikes is the need to prevent a thrown pitch from ricocheting or rebounding from a strike zone into a ball zone or vice versa and making a double count entry into the counting system when in fact only one pitch has been thrown. A further advantage of such systems would be to provide counting circuitry in order to convert the fourth ball into a walk and the third strike into an out and to recycle the entire system after the third out in order to indicate the end of an inning. Such a counting system would more accurately simulate actual game conditions and is believed to be superior to any existing disclosure or apparatus. The invention disclosed herein provides each of these various benefits and advantages and is believed to be novel and unobvious.